Apparatus for the boring of wells or shafts, and for like operations



Jan. 1, 1935. I P. J. M. T. ALLARD 1,986,096

APPARATUS FOR THE BORING 0F WELLS OR SHAF'TS AND FOR LIKE OPERATIONSOriginal Filed May 26, 1933 O H W |NVENTOR Puma: In: MnmaTncb om:RLLnnof 51:5- .(qjziz:

at the bottom of an elongated main body having Patented Jan. 1, 1935 IUNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR THE BORING OE WELLS OR SHAFTS, AND FOR LIKEOPERATIONS Pierre Jean Marie Theodore Allard, Ste.-Adresse,

France, assignor to Societe Francaise de Construction de BennesAutomatiques, Le Havre,

France, a company. of France Original application May 26, 1933, SerialNo. 672,967. Divided and this application August 22, 1934, Serial No.740,864. In France August 1 Claim. (01. 37-71) The present inventionrelates to an apparatus for the boring, the excavation, the sinking ofwells or shafts, and like operations, consisting of a grab the operatingtools of which are mounted a practically cylindrical form and adapted toguide the said grab in the cavity to be excavated, the weight of thebody being sufiicient to enableits use for operating upon thesoil bypercussion.

This arrangement provides for the construction of small grabs having arelatively considerable weight, and especially employed for the sinkingof wells.

Such an apparatus has been described in my copending application SerialNo. 672,967 filed May 26, 1933, of which the present case is adivisional application.

' An object of my present invention is to provide improvements in theconstruction of the main substantially cylindrical body of theapparatus.

In the accompanying drawing, which is given solely by way of example:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical section of a grab in conformity withthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the piston provided withlongitudinal channels in view of digging in submerged grounds.

Fig. 3 is a corresponding plan view.

Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section of the upper part of the grab whichalso is provided with A cable 13 is attached at one end'to the body 1,and passes over the set of pulleys 6 and 8.

To the lower end of the body 1 is secured a ring 17 which is coaxiallymounted with respect to said body, and whose internal diameter ispreferably smaller than the external diameter of the block 10,

The ring 17 carries scoops 20, mounted upon spindles 21.

A'bracket 24 is secured to the lower end of the block 10, and to thehorizontal arms of scoops 20.

The apparatus may be thrown down upon the ground to be excavated, thegrab being open. The

scoops 20 penetrate the ground and when they are closed and the grab islifted they also gather and raise the disaggregated material.

In the form of construction according to my present invention, theelongated body of the grab, the outer shape of which is practicallycylindrical or preferably somewhat tapered, is formed by the.superposition of a cap 1 with rounded top, a ring As the hemisphericalcap 1 forming the head of I the grab is removable, it affords access tothe interior of the grab, for instance should the piston be accidentallyheld fast.

When working. in submerged ground, in orde to facilitate the descent ofthe grab in the water andtoavoid effects of suction which would takeplace especially in the case where the grab operates in a tube, thepiston 10 is not solid but contains spaces or channels 48 affording thegreatest possible passage for 'the water. The arrangement shown in Figs.2 and 3 may for instance be employed. The cap 1 forming the rounded endof the grab is pierced with apertures or channels 49 for the circulationof water, for instance according to the arrangement shown in Figs. 4 and5.

In the case of submerged and soft ground, the pivot joints 21 of thescoops are preferably situated outside of the diameter of thecylindrical parts l -1 and of the rounded cap 1, in order to avoideffects of suction when the grab is raised, as this leaves asufiicientspace between the cylindrical part and the inner walls of the tube orthe well.

Apparatus of the type herein described are to be employed for operatingin the ground by percussion. They may alsobe used as a ram, in order tobreak up the ground by ramming. They may be dropped from a point havinga height attaining several meters. They are closed afterwards in orderto grasp the material to be removed by means of the scoops. 20.

The use of such-apparatus offers particular advantages for the sinkingof shafts or wells of reduced size which require the use of small grabs,as the practically cylindrical body, 1 allows the use of the availablesize of the grab to the maximum degree, and to employ a considerableweight even for a small apparatus. The body 1 adapts itself to thediameter of the excavation, and serves as a means for guiding the grab.

The said apparatus have a very substantial construction. Due to thepractically cylindrical form of the body 1, which replaces the usualframes or traction rods of the grabs, the said body will withstand veryhard shocks.

As the closing mechanism is contained in the body 1, which is closed atthe top and the lower part of which isstopped by the block 10, the saidmechanism is protected against contact with sand, earth or stones whichmight offer prejudice to the working of the apparatus.

It is evident that the devices comprising two cables for the opening andclosing of the grab, might be replaced by any other known device incurrent use for grabs, having one or more cables or chains for theopening and one or more cables or chains for the closing.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the forms of constructionherein described and represented, which are given solely by way ofexample.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

An apparatus of the kind referred to comprising a grab device, anelongated preferably cylindrical body combined with said grab, havingrelatively thick'walls and high weight, and intended for the guiding ofthe grab device in the bore formed by the excavation of the earth,operating means adapted to bore the ground by violent impact thereon andto evacuate the disaggregated materials, mounted preferably in adetachable way on the bottom of said elongated body, a heavy blockslidably mounted within said elongated body, and forming a substantiallyclosed chamber in the upper part of said elongated body, controllingmeans for causing the sliding of said block mounted and entirelyconcealed within said chamber, and means for connecting said block withsaid operating means and providing for the opening and the closing ofthese latter means, said apparatus being intended for the working insubmerged grounds and comprising preferably longitudinal channel meansprovided in the top part of the elongated body and in the slidable blockfor the evacuation of water.

PIERRE JEAN MARIE THEODORE ALLARD.

